Collapsible combination table and seats or benches



March 4,1958 H, POST 825,390

coLLAPsIBLE YcolvuanmIoN TABLE AND SEATS 0R BENcHEs Filed June 8, 1956 2sheets-snee: 1

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COLLAPSIBLE COMBINATION TABLE AND SEATS OR BENCHES Filed June 8. 1956March 4, 1958 COLLAPSBLE COMBINATON TABLE AND SEATS 0R BENCHES HarryPost, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application .lune 8, 1956, Serial No. 590,141

4 Claims. (Cl. 15S-.124)

This invention relates to outdoor furniture of the picnic table type,and the main object is the provision of certain new and usefulimprovements in a collapsible combination table and'benches whereby thecombination, when not in use, may easily and readily be collapsed. intoa small compact mass.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a collapsiblecombination table and chairs wherein the table is formed of two mutuallyhinged sections into which the legs of both the table and the benchesare adapted to be folded and which themselves provide the two sides of asuitcase-like container when suitable swung about their common hinge, sothat, with the further provision of latching means and a handle permitof readily carryingY the entire collapsed combination.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will beclarified in the following description wherein reference numerals referto like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be notedthat the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration andthat it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the inventionnecessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction exceptinsofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of acombination collapsible table and benches in extended condition readyfor outdoor use, embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2- is a fragmentary sectional- View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig.l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4Jv isa sectional vieW- taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. -5 is a fragmentary plan view looking down into the open containerformed byv the two halves or sections ofthe table, with the collapsedtable and bench supports and the bench boards or panels positionedtherein.

'Fig'. 6 is' an end elevational View of the suitcase-like container whenclosed and latched, with the end wall thereof cut away to expose theinterior.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1i) indicates the tabletop which is composed of two halfsections 11 and 12. Each section hasdepending longitudinal flanges 13 and 14 of which the latter aremutually adjacent when the table and bench combination is in positionfor use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and each section further hasdepending end llanges 15 and 16. The two sections are hinged together bya hinge 17 joining the flanges 14 back-to-back at their lower edges,Fig. 2. It is thus apparent that either section may be swung about thehinge 17 with respect to the other through an angle of 180 degrees toform the box-like container 1S shown in Fig. 6. Latches for thecontainer are provided in the form of slide bolts or the like 19 on thelower edge of one ange 13 and keepers or the like 26 on the lower` edgeof the other iiange 13; one of the latches is shown atent O ICC at zi innig. 6,. Eur-ther., a carrying handle zzis prender for the container.

The device has four combination table yand bench panel supports 23, 24,25 and 2,6; all of which are'alike, one at each corner. For eaclisuchsupport, a U-shaped bracket 27 has one arm 28 secured by' a Vrivet onthelike29 against the fiange 13 beneathV the table top. A stub tube has oneend pivoted by means of a pin 31 onv the other-, 32 of the bracket, AsecondtubeV 33 is'joined to and in alignment with the other end of thetubeI 30, bya means which permits rotation through an are, of the tube33 with respectl to the tube 30'. Such meansrnay comprise a plug 34anchored by a pin 35 in theV tube` 33 and projecting into the tube 30,with a pin 36 rigid' in the plug projecting into a semicircumferentialslot 37Tv in the tube 30', to permit rotation of the tube 33 through anarc of degrees. Thus the connection between the2 tube 33 and the bracket27, and hence between the bracket 27 and the support 23, constitute auniversal joint.

The tube 33 is L-shaped, having the normally horif zontal portion 33athereof extending Outward as shown, in Fig. 1. A U-shapedtube 38 has thenormally upright cross-member 39 and the two parallel arms 4t) and 41,.the former registering slidably and rotatably in the portionk 33o of thetube, 33. With the tubes 33 and138 in their respective poistions shownin Figs. 1 and 4, spaced aligned holes pass.` vertically through theportion 33a and the arm 40. Each seat panel 43 has similarly spacedl`pins 44 extending downward from the ends thereof, which pins, at eachend of the panel, are adapted to register in the aligned holes 42 andthus not only support theV seat panel but also maintain the support 23,24, 25 or 26 rigid.

To collapse the device shown in Fig. 1, the seat panels 43 are rstlifted to disengage the pins 44 from the holes 42. Then each ofthe saidsupports is collapsed and fitted between the tableanges inlthefollowing. manner. Referring to the support 26 as an example,althoughA any other of the supports will serve as well, the tube 33 isswung clockwise (Fig. l) through an arcl of 180 de grecs with respect tothe., stub tube 30, then' the member 38 is swung about its arm 40 as anaxis, and thetubev 32 is nally pivoted inwardA about the axis 31- toposition yoke whose arms; 4.4; areV slidablyV mounted in. openings.-

through a ange 13. Enlargements 45 on the ends of the arms 44 serve toconfine coiled springs 46 between the flange and the enlargement andthus normally urge the yoke arms inward into the container, so that whenthe device is extended as in Fig. l the handle lies liush against theflange and out of the way. In order to fold the supports 23 and 24 intothe section 11 as shown in Fig. 5, the handle must be pulled outward,and when the supports are so positioned and the handle is released, itwill remain in the position shown, raised outward from the flange 13,because the lower ends of the arms are stopped by the tubes 33. Hencethe handle will always be readily accessible to be gripped for carryingthe collapsed device.

With supports stored as shown in Fig. 5, the two seat panels 43 are alsoplaced in the sections 11 and 12, one in each section, and then the twosections are folded together into the position shown in Fig. 6, and thelatches 21 are closed. Thus, the entire collapsed device may be readilycarried about in the manner of a suitcase.

l. A'device of the classdescribed comprising aY table top Vcomposed oftwo half-sections, each of saidsections being rectangular in outlineVand having downwardly extending anges on the sides and endsthereof,,thefjuxta-y Y posed lside anges of Athe sectionsbeingrnutuallyf hingedtogether 'along'their lower edges whereby thesections edges of the vanges on Vone section Vinto Vcontact with thelower edges of the anges on the other section toV form 1 a container,each of the outer side tlanges of the table top having'a bracket securedto the underside therei of at each end thereof, the device havingjasupport at eachA corner, the Vsupports Veach comprising a stub 'tube YVvpivoted at one end toone of said brackets on anv axis are pivotable'.about the hinge axis `to bring'thelower Y parallelY with Vthe Vendvidanges,` an L-shaped tube having V oneV arnrthereofrotatablyjoined toYand alignedrrwithk the other end/of the stub tube, a Ufshaped memberhaving Y the base of the VUnormally uprightY and having the upper armthereoffrotatably registering in'the other `arm of the Lshaped tube,'two seat panels, each ofrsaid other arms of thev L-shapedtubesassociatedwith one of said sections being 'adapted to support one ,ofsaid seat panels,Y thereon, and means partly on the seat panel andpartly onsaidvotherarms of the L-shaped tubes and partly oirsaidV upperrarms for locking said upper arms against rotation, the .lower arms oftheV VU-shaped members serv-Y ing as feet to` rest onV the ground, eachof said supports after having said seatpanels removed being adapted `'tohaveV said one arm ofthe L-shaped tube rotated through Y180 degrees toposition said other arm thereof Y and Vsaid U-shaped member thereonunder the associated table top section andY then Vswung on said bracketaxis while rotating said upper arm on said other arm of the L-shapedtube to bring said supports wholly within the contines of the anges ofsaid associated section, means for latching said sections'togetherrwhenforming a container as aforesaid.V

2. The device set form in claim 1, said first-named means comprisingspaced pins extending downward fromv ythe ends of the seatpanel, saidupper armand said other arm of the L-shaped tube havingholesrtherethrough in alignment when said U-shaped'member is positionednormally upright, said'pins registeringin` said aligned holes. f3.' Thedevice set forth in claim l, having a Vcarrying handle comprising a yokehaving ther arms thereof extending slidably through one of said sideflanges, resilientV means normally urging the yoke -arms'inward'intothe',

container, said one arms of the L-shaped tubes of that one of saidsections which includes said last-named one of said-sidevanges beingpositioned, when the L-shaped tubes are wholly within'the contines ofthe llanges of the l section, in mutual alignment closely adjacentY saidlastnamed yone of the side anges and in the pathiof inward movement ofsaid yoke arms whence said one arms serve aslimit Vstops to the inwardmovement of the yoke arms and maintain the yoke spaced outward 'fromsaid 1 ast named sideange while simultaneouslys'aid resxlrentf,

means tends to prevent rotary movement ofthe L-shaped arms on the axesof the stub tubes;

gether, four' rigidV and said other axislying at right angles to saidone axis, said L-shaped members inl normal extended position'rhaving thevertical arms thereof extending downward at right,

angles to the table top and havingY the horizontal arms thereofextending outward fromlthe area defined4 by the table top "in two pairsV,on opposite sides of the table top with each ofthe horizontal armsonone side of the table Y top lying in parallel plane's, saidmembersbeingadapted j n to beV swung into position underl the table topaboutrthe axes of the universal joints, drt/Wo Vseat, panels eachadapted to be supported on thetwoihori'zontal'arms of each of saidpairs, means partly on'the seat panels and partly onVV said members forlocking said members in said extended position,A saidV sections beingYadapted to be sWung'to-V gether on the hinge axis thereof,jand meansfor rele'asablyV locking said sections together, said horizontal armsbeing hollow, four rigid Ufshaped members each includingr'two Y spacednormally horizontal portions and-a normally ver tical portion, the upperof said'horizontal portions regis` tering rotatably in said horizontalarmsjsaidrst-named means comprising pins extendingY Yfrom the seatpanels, said horizontal portions having vertical holes therethrough,said horizontal,armshavingrvertical holes VtherefA through, saidkpins'said holesgin rsaid'horizontal portions; Y Y, and said holes insaid horizontalrarms being Vin ,align-f ment, said pins registering yinsaid aligned holes,Y said U-shaped members being adapted to be swungthrough an Y arc of degrees prior to swinging said L -shaped memY` bersinto position under Vthe table topnas aforesaid. i,

Y ReferencesCited-irir'theV ofthis patent 'i UNITED srArns PATENTS i, l1 j France Sept.k 4, 1944

